These 5 shows were very popular (But how did their bad continuity impact the series?)

Friday Night Lights

Friday Night Lights was a successful football drama taking place in the small town of Dillon, Texas, where high school football was the highest priority among the residents. The show focused primarily on Coach Eric Taylor, his family, and his players. But, where this show had its biggest issue was continuity, especially among its first three seasons.

In its first few years, Friday Night Lights introduces various characters, four of whom are Jason Street, Tyra Collette, Lyla Garrity, and Tim Riggins. During season one, Friday Night Lights implies, even if it does not directly state, that the group of four are all high school seniors.

The depiction of Jason and Lyla's romantic relationship makes it appear as if they have been together for years, and the show suggests that Jason and Tim have been friends and teammates their entire lives. Absolutely nothing in season one suggests that this foursome is anything other than the same age, especially when Lyla explains her college goals surround going to the same university as Jason, or to a college nearby, so that they can stay together and he will not be lonely.

Lyla's dedication to remain at Jason's side is a specific declaration, even if it is misguided of her own potential, and one that only makes sense if Jason and Lyla graduate the same year. Except two seasons later, Lyla is still attending Dillon High School, as Friday Night Lights reveals that while Jason had been a senior in season one, Lyla had only been a sophomore.

The revelation makes no sense, especially when looking at Jason's decision to ask Lyla to marry him, a decision that is particularly out of place for a high school senior but makes even less sense for him to do with his girlfriend two years younger than him.

In this moment, revealing Lyla's intentions to follow Jason to college also make no sense. As someone two grades behind Jason, it would not have mattered where Jason went to college because he would have two years to settle in before Lyla got there. Granted, Friday Night Lights completely ignores this plot line by its third season, as it recreates Lyla to have had dreams of attending Vanderbilt for years, something that had never been brought up previously.

Making Tim a sophomore also made no sense, as in the first episode of Friday Night Lights, Tim appears to be an already established member of the team, not someone who had only been involved for one year previously. Tim's continued presence on the show appeared to be because the series liked having him around, not because it made sense for the character to remain on the show.

Landry and Julie, who initially appeared to be the same age as Matt in the show's first season, are randomly held back in Friday Night Lights' fourth season. The show never suggested that Matt was a year older than either of them, especially Landry, who was a lifelong friend and who had a driver's license in season one.

The decision to time jump eight months each season to catch up and focus on the football season works for the narrative of the show, but not for the narrative of the characters, as the audience is now forced to play catch-up with every storyline that Friday Night Lights decided not to explain on-screen, such as Landry and Tyra's referenced break-up at the beginning of season three.

There is no explanation given for why the duo broke up, and it appeared to only occur just to watch them come back together by the conclusion of the third season only to completely ignore their entire dynamic afterward and act as if there had been no emotional significance for either of them.

Tyra and Landry were by no means required to remain in a romantic relationship until the show's conclusion, but Friday Night Lights could have offered their history and friendship more integrity than having Tyra ditch Landry and then them appearing to never speak again. The dynamic they offered the audience deserved better than such a quick write-off, and it is almost like one of the biggest connections delivered in seasons two and three never happened at all.